Your Guide To Self Love And Self Development

Lifestyle & Travel

Wonder why you continue to feel unhappy sometimes, even thought things should be great and there is nothing really that stands in the way of you and happiness? I made a list of things that have held me back from feeling happy the past years and added how I changed things around for me.

1. You are holding on to your fantasy-you

We all have this dream of how our life should be. Where we should be right now at our age and what we should have accomplished. Our dream job, a nice flat to ourselves and maybe a masters degree. But life often doesnt go according to our 5 year plan. It changes, we develop, our dreams take on different shapes and grow into a different direction with us. And that is completely fine, it would almost be strange, if that weren’t so.

Conclusion: Let go of that image of future-you, that you grew up with. Stop thinking how life should be, because it is what it is now. If you don’t like it, change it. But it is normal to grow out of your dreams and find new ones. Let it happen!

2. You are living in the past

Regret is such a strong, poisenous feeling that weighs us down and stops us from growing. It took me a long time to learn how to let go of it.. regretting that I chose a certain lifepath and should have chosen another etc. Wisdom comes with age, that you can only let go of things, when you put the effort in to actually let go. That means, actively forgiving yourself or the other person for what happened, and consciously move on. There is nothing new and refreshing about your day, if you fill it with regret and fear.

Conclusion: Always look ahead, there is nothing in your past that will make you grow. Learn to accept, to forgive and know that there always are new people, goals and chapters in your life to look forward to. It’s on you to actively let go and create something new.

3. You are doing too little for your dreams

And then you have this dream, maybe for years, but it is simply not coming true, no matter how much time passes? That is because nothing grows out of nothing. Watching time pass and our dream getting out of reach can make us very unhappy. Dreams are scary but they develop out of our own effort. We create them and turn them into reality, actively. Break your goal down into small steps. Write them up, so you can tick them off, one by one.

Conclusion: Kick yourself in the butt and notice how it feels when you start something on your own and take a step towards your dreams. Don’t be that person who had a dream and regrets letting it slip away, act towards it! Little by little, every day.

4. You compare yourself to other people

Thesurefire way to unhappiness? Comparing yourself to your friends, to what people post on facebook, to what you see on instagram, to biographies on wikipedia. Finding yourself on this list? Who doesn’t. I am aware of how this is a common illness nowadays and very hard to stop. But do you notice how you are the happiest, when you are completely with yourself, in balance and away from social media? The trick is not to leave social media out, that is no option for the most of us. But the secret is to create a life that you are unshakably happy with, so what you see on social media doesn’t push your buttons anymore. The more stabil and happy you are with yourself, the less you will find that others are better of than you.

Conclusion: Find out how you get there for yourself. What needs to change, in order to find inner balance? For me it was finding a job I love, in a city I adore with the people that mean the most to me. BAM – inner harmony. I love to look at what people are up to now, no envy there.

5. You are overthinking your relationship

Know these emotional rollercoaster rides? One moment everything is amazing and the next, something happens that tests the stability of the foundation you build your relationship on. Personally, I noticed how I needed to learn to trust the bond I have formed with my boyfriend. That little arguments wont do any damage, since our emotions are rooted far deeper than the surface. Scratches happen and they heal. I needed to learn how to c h i l l, how to let go and trust him not to hurt me. If you feel like you are standing on the edge, ready to jump off the ship at any moment, you cannot let go and grow with each other, emotionally.

Conclusion: Now this is very individual to every relationship. But ladies, let’s c h i l l out for a moment and let shit happen. The good and the bad. Remember the love, the foundation, remember why you belong together and the ups and downs will smoothen out.

Change takes time. Start by actively noticing if you are doing any of these things on the list. I used to have bad anxiety, insomnia and depression for two years after starting college and this list pinpoints some of the reasons why.

What are some problems you are fighting with. Anything that you sabotage your happiness with, that is not on the list? Let’s talk <3

5 Ways You Sabotage Your Happiness was last modified: August 13th, 2017 by Franziska

At least once a month I spam my friends with pictures of crazy bold hairstyles and how I will completely change my hair TOMORROW.

I get that “OH my god, sh*t needs to CHANGE!”-attitude and want to go silky silver or a rose gold pink in an instant.

You know what I am talking about!??

If you are too in this mood at the moment, let me help you out with some ideas! Below I have listed my favorite hair trends of 2017, hoping to inspire you to make a brave change (or at least have a nice daydream about it)!

Rose Gold Pink – YES!!

If you are lucky to be that light blonde, this will look magical on you. If not, I guess you gotta risk bleaching your darker hair. It will definitely do some damage but if you show it some love in shape of hair oils and mask, it will eventually forgive you. Love that haircolour!!

(right: @vanessastylesyou)

Perky Ombre Bobs

I recommend the bob hair style to women with stronger, more thicker hair. I had my hair done like the lady to the left, having really thin + wavy hair, and it just didnt feel right. Instead of that cool bob vibe it gave me that cute 4th grade look. Consider if you have the right hair texture to pull of the look you want!

(left: Anh Co Tran/ Right: @hairbykatlin)

Coloured Roots

Now this is a really cool new approach to ombre.. and when done in a pastel colour, it can look just as magical as the rose gold tones, or, if not in luck, like your scalp is infected. I haven’t seen this on the street so far but am looking forward to! And aren’t the silver tips in the picture to the left goorgeous? By far one of my favorite hair trends of 2017!

(left: @guy_tan / left: maurice meade )

Silky Silver

This silvery look is just so cool and magical. For this, your hair also needs to endure some serious bleaching. And as pretty as it looks in the picture, you can almost certainly make another hair appointment a few months later to make big cuts… I am really tempted to try it out still. You only live once, hey, so you might as well try something unusual once in a while!

Long Sun Kissed Curly Mane

This is the look that speaks to me the most. Natural, carefree and just really positively sunny looking. For those of you, who have that long hair – you’re so lucky! For the others, I heard extensions like these are around 600 euros…….. *cough* But psssst!

What are your favorite hair trends of 2017?

I think for me its the silver hairstyle and those long sun kissed hippie manes. It will take me another two years to grow it but, man, I just love wild long hair!

Would you also like to change your hair and if yes, what should it look like?

My Favorite Hair Trends of 2017 was last modified: June 21st, 2017 by Franziska

We have all been there. Life isn’t running smoothly, things don’t seem to work out the way we hoped they would and suddenly we become all disenchanted with our situation. Eventually you reach this moment when you know things need to change, but what exactly? And doesnt “change” happen over weeks? In this post I want to share 10 simple ways you can make a difference today. I found that it is not the big massive changes that improve your life, but the daily changes on the long run, that make the biggest impact. And the great news is, that if you are feeling dissatisfied with your life right now, it is possible to feel more content by tonight.

1. Envision your day and organize your week.

Before you start your day and randomly begin with any task that pops in your head, try to take a step back for a moment and think what you want your day to be like. What you want to get done and the vibe you want it to carry. Also, visualize your week and write down your tasks, this will clear your head and help you getting things done. Since I have been doing that, my days dramatically changed from „I kinda didn’t get anything done today…“ to „This feels amazing, whats next???“

2. Understand how change really works.

What is actually needed for change? Reflection and Action. Why have you procrastinated on that one task, why have you suddenly gained weight, why are things piling up at work? Don’t just accept and be angry that these things happen but reflect why and then take action to change it. In order to improve your life you need to be ready to take some serious action. It is great to write to do lists, but even better to start working on ticking them off.

3. Take a step towards your goal today.

Sometimes we refer from taking action towards our goals because they seem so big and amazing, you have no idea where to start. And then you don’t do anything instead, because all you could do feels too little. See it this way: do a little something towards your goal every day and in a month you got 30 days of action taking under your belt, that will have gotten you farther than ever before. Also, taking daily action towards your goals is a deeply satisfying habit, that will turn you into a profoundly content person in only a week from now.

4. Focus on the present.

The most important one!! The past doesn’t belong in your present. Regrets mistakes and old lovers wont help you build a better present, they continue to lock you in the past. Staying in the present will dramatically improve your life and help you focus on what is really important right in front of you.

5. Get physical!

No I mean it. The simplest cure for dissatisfaction is moving. You know this incredibly happy and satisfying feeling after a workout? Look up local dance classes or join a running team – anything that gets you to move at least once a week will make you happy and proud.

6. Do this one annoying thing you have been postponing for a while.

Like taking this important letter to the mail, paying this awful bill or answering your facebook messages. Sometimes we don’t notice how these little things weigh us down a ton! Free yourself and be stronger than your inner procrastinator.

7. Shed new light on your biggest problem.

I got my heart broken a year ago and it ate me up inside. For months on end I didnt know how to get better. Until one night I realized that in order to stop hurting I would have to reevaluate the situation. I wrote him a loving letter, send it off and didn’t believe what happened the next day. The pain was gone. The importance of it was gone. Why? Cause instead of continuing with my anger I forgave him and made peace. I set myself free. Two days later I met the amazing man who is now my loving boyfriend.

8. Get in touch with your friends.

Sometimes when we are hurting, it is hard to let other people in and find interest in anything else than our own misery. Although it took me a bit of strength, the day I felt a bit weak I called up an old friend, determined to rebuild our friendship. After I hung up bad mood was gone. Instead I felt inspired and also happy to have her back in my life again. Instead of isolating yourself, reach out to your friends. They do not only provide you with affection, the also give you more input and might inspire you to try new things.

9. Countyour blessings.

This is a quick pick me up trick I learned to cherish only a year ago. Whenever you feel like you are unhappy with your situation, come up with 5 things you can be grateful for in your life. Really feel them and feel what they are giving you. In our times of constant comparison and the display of polished shiny lives on social media, it is super easy to feel like everyone is happier and more blessed than you. Put this thought aside, focus on yourself only and remember what this life has blessed you with. Done? Lucky you, right?!

10.Stop beating yourself up.

We will never feel as good as we should be. Tune down these fantasies of yourself of how you should have achieved a lot more than you have in order to improve your life. Of course, in our fantasy world that sounds possible, but it is not reality ever. Come to peace with where you are at but continue to work for your goals persistently.

What are the steps you are taking today to improve your life?

Remember that you are in charge of how you feel and it is on you to take action for yourself to feel better or continue to feel sad. When I am in my „staring at the wall, feeling miserable about everything“-mood, I force myself to go to the gym or call up a friend to get out of that dark mood. It takes practice and „activation energy“ to get started, but it has always been the better decision to take action. Try some of these today and let me know if they have helped you!! I am here for you ya know <3

If you enjoyed this article, please share the love on pinterest 😄 ♡

10 Ways To Improve Your Life Now was last modified: August 13th, 2017 by Franziska

Are you on the search for THE jeans shorts for your outfits this summer? I feel ya.

There is nothing more convenient than slipping on those perfect kind of jeans shorts that always look amazing, no matter you wear with it! I looked everywhere on the internet, browsed pinterest, fashion blogs and polyvore, went through all sorts of department stores and – eventually – found it! THE best looking jeans shorts you can ask for!

The LEVIS 501 !

Yes, it’s a classic and no, this post is not sponsored, but LEVIS shorts are legendary for a reason!

I got them for my travels in south east asia and wore them to exhaustion on my two month trip – they still look amazing. It has got this beautiful strong and textured denim feel to it.

And being a big fan of the ripped jeans and vintage jeans trend, these shorts are the best of both worlds.

At one store I showed a pinterest picture of my desired shorts and was told: “These are instagram jeans shorts. They dont exist.” HA right. And here I am showing you just how much they exists ha! So if you are looking for your perfect pair of levis shorts, look no further, I found them for you.

The LEVIS Jeans Shorts Every Girl Needs was last modified: July 7th, 2017 by Franziska

Why don’t we take on opportunities sometimes, even though our gut feeling deeply wants us too? Negative self talk.

It happens within seconds in your head, without warning crushing your positive impulse to take necessary action on whatever it is, that you would love to do. Whether you are working on a project that is important to you, holding a presentation, applying for a job or putting your hand up in class – self deprecating thoughts can crush dreams within the blink of an eye.

We all have experienced negative thoughts, but often many of us don’t notice when a thought repeated too often becomes a thought pattern, effectively eroding our self esteem. Negative self talk can sound a little something like this:

I don’t / I can’t ..

I’m not good enough ..

If only I had..

I suck at …

I don’t deserve..

I can’t get anything right.

I shouldn’t even start..

And sadly it mostly happens when we are about to try something amazing! Like daring to voice a thought, building a project, applying for this one position we are dreaming of or wanting a better life in general. All of these steps need courage and involve taking a risk. Greeting every idea with negative feedback from yourself will not only crush your self confidence but also quickly become a habit. A little infusion of self doubt can sometimes be inevitable but manageable, if you know how to direct it towards a positive outcome. In this post I want to show you a technique that has helped me tremendously with getting rid of my negative self talk and building my self esteem.

1. The second you notice your negative thoughts, say „stop“ in your thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations.

This technique needs active practice but you will want to hug me after a week, because like every mantra and thought pattern, „stopping“ negative self talk will also turn into an automatic mechanism. So now, when I am doubting my post ideas or keeping myself from putting my hand up in class, in my head it sounds a little like this:

„I am not g- STOP. I can do it. I managed to do x I can also do y.“

By actively stopping your negative thoughts and replacing it with one or more positive qualities of yourself, you are not only preventing your self esteem from getting harmed but actually building it each time you are using this technique. Love yourself enough to actively start changing the way you talk to yourself. Pamper your self esteem like it is starving! Go overboard with it and it will just be enough.

2. Make a list of your amazing qualities and what you like about yourself.

In order to believe the compliments you are giving to yourself you shouldn’t end the affirmation with „I can do it“. It is a great start but in order to truly believe you can, tell yourself why. Are you great at coming up with ideas? Really efficient at organizing or are you a great student? Make a list of your favorite traits, small and big achievements and also ask your friends what they love about you! And each time you talk down to yourself, actively stop it and replace it with your collection of positive traits and achievements.

So, you don’t want to upload this picture on facebook, because „they“ will find it ridiculous? Now take a step back to look at that thought. Actually rationally look at it. Now ask yourself: who actually is „they“? Do they really exist as people in your life, or is it self doubt becoming reality? Take a step back from your inner dialogue and analyze what you are actually saying to yourself. In this case: Will they think it is ridiculous? And if so, why? You will notice that most of the time, there are no answers to these questions, because these stem from fantasies and deeply rooted fears playing out only in our heads. I cannot even remember that someone ever laughed at a picture of mine! But still, I used to fear it every time before I started to notice that those are only fantasies.

Be good to yourself!

The first step to loving yourself more and treating yourself better is keeping track of the dialogue in your head. How you talk to yourself is how you feel about yourself. Let it become a habit to stop negative self talk, analyze where it comes from and replace it with positive affirmations. You will feel a beautifully positive difference in no time, I promise! <3

How To Quit Negative Self Talk When You Are An Overthinker was last modified: August 13th, 2017 by Franziska

Once you leave your teenage years behind you realize that self love is nothing you can put on together with your make up. It doesn’t work like a mask, it can never work as an act only – it has to grow from inside until you radiate it. Today I was wondering what you can actively do and change in your way of thinking, to achieve inner stability and grow to love yourself more. The following list is a summery of what has helped me greatly in building new confidence for myself.

1. Forgive your past self and arrive in the now.

Don’t let regret over past mistakes hold you back from starting over. The past has absolutely nothing on you and your present moment, it only exists in your head. Be strong and keep your eyes on the steps you are making now, creating the life that you want.

2. Value yourself and your (life)time. Set boundaries when you have to.

One of the greatest secrets of self love is to learn how valuable you and your time is. Learn from past experiences when enough is enough. If it is a friend that used you or a lover that hurt you. Love yourself and your lifetime enough to set boundaries. Cut chords if you need to, take time for yourself if you need to. Learn to say no and turn away when the situation hurts you more than it benefits you.

3. Acknowledge who you already are and what you have accomplished.

It is very easy to admire other people, especially today where all we see is the shiny surface of a social media profile. Sometimes we just need to see little snippets of peoples lives and our head creates a great story around it, that is always so much better than our own. Keep your eyes on your own life.

When you see a post of a happy couple or of your friend showing off his travel pictures, acknowledge it but don’t let it go deeper. If this concerns you sometimes, find some advice in my post about the “5 Truths To Inner Peace”.

4. Practice gratitude. I promise it will change your life.

At least once a day remind yourself what you can be thankful for in life and what makes you happy on a daily basis. And it will feel like an immediate antidote against negative thoughts, lift your mood up and help you refocus your mind on your life only (and not what everybody else is having or doing).

Self love also means paying attention to how you treat yourself on a daily basis. Actively replace negative by positive affirmations. Negative thoughts about yourself quickly become the loudest of all in your head and only lower your self esteem. Instead, try to boost your self confidence every day by consciously pointing out your good qualities to yourself: I am a loyal friend, I am passionate about my work..

Notice when you are putting yourself down and actively stop it. This could also start by accepting compliments instead of fighting them off. When a friend compliments you on your work and you play it cool by saying „ah, its not that good“ your subconsciousness will remember and you feel less good about it automatically. Accept compliments and keep the positive feedback in the back of your head.

It can be very individual why we don’t feel comfortable in other peoples presence. Sometimes you just don’t share the same vibes, sometimes it is something explicit this person does. Don’t invest your energy and time in people that you cannot be yourself with, that put you down or make you feel less than you are. Be strict and take a step back. Nurture the relationships that empower you to be the best version of yourself and that make you feel strong and loved.

7. Practice self care. We only get one body and we’ll learn to love and care for it !

I do believe that exercise, less fast food and good 6-8 hours sleep leaves us feeling stronger than before. Actively notice what you put into your mouth and what it does to your body. The more conscious we treat ourself the less likely we are to get back to harmful behavior (..like drinking too much alcohol and sleeping less than 4 hours!). Also pamper yourself! Nourish your skin with lotions after showering and do your nails.. all of this sends signals to yourself „I love my body and I take care of it.“

So..

There is a lot to self love. Acceptance, forgiveness, positivity and self care. All you do on a daily basis – how you treat others, how you perform in your job and how you look out on life – is rooted in how you view yourself. The more balanced and strong you become in your core, the less likely you are to be shaken by outside influences and the happier you will become.

Finding strength and stability within yourself is the first thing you should take care of when you feel out of balance. Creating a strong core is the essence of inner peace and will plant you like a tree deep into the earth and nothing can truly shake you. When I feel anxious and restless I like to withdraw and rebuild my inner strength with these 5 Mantras.

1. Forgiveness is a gift to yourself to be free.

When you got hurt by someones actions I found that forgiving that person isn’t the weaker path, it means that you are taking control of the situation and your feelings. Forgiving means freeing yourself of feeling anger towards a past event. Make it a gift to yourself to forgive the ones that hurt you to move towards a new chapter of your life.

2. You are in full control of your feelings and thus of your happiness.

When overwhelming sadness or anger is taking over our hearts, it can be paralyzing at first. We tend to be slaves to our emotions, because when we are sad there is nothing else to do than to be sad and go through it, right? Wrong! You are in full control of your thoughts and thus how you feel. Try not to wallow in your sadness but actively turn it into action and direct them towards a new way of thinking.

3. You are the only one who knows who you are.

We all take on certain roles when we are with people, alone or in a group. But no matter who you came to be in those situations, you still are the only one who truly knows your qualities, talents and values. Don’t let social roles limit you in what you are and what you can achieve.

4. Be present. Only this moment exists. Free yourself of the future and the past.

Imagine you only exist in this moment. Right now. No hurt of the past or anxieties of the future cross your mind. Imagine if the past and the future don’t exist. There would be no regrets and no uncertainty as there is only now. You are in full control of now. How lifberating is that? And it is true. There only is now, try to push away thoughts about the past and try not to worry about your future – these limit you and slow you down. Do the best you can now. Your life will light up, I promise.

5. Where you are right now is exactly where you should be.

There is the real you and the fantasy you. It is super easy to decorate the fantasy future-you with all sorts of talents and achievements. Until the difference between the two grows so big, it is starting to bug you. You feel like you are not as good as you should be and this is where the thought spiral starts. Instead of valuing who you are and what you have achieved, you empathize on what is still missing and what you missed out on. This is a surefire way to unhappiness. Let go of what you thought would happen and live in what is happening!

So..

We all know these periods of our lives when we feel a bit fragile. When criticism hits harder than usual and when self doubt is louder than self love. When feeling anxious, remember these truths and take a quiet moment to find out what they mean to you and how you can apply them to your situation. I summed them up for you in a picture below!

What do you usually do for yourself, when you are feeling out of balance? I look forward to get inspired by your own truths.

♡ Easy reminder to print out or save to Pinterest ♡

5 Truths To Inner Peace was last modified: August 13th, 2017 by Franziska

It is a touchy subject for many, as it is connected to high expectations of yourself and of others. Here I want to share some thoughts on the afterschoolbluesand howtoavoid it, so you can get the best out of your time and skip post-school-anxiety!

1. There is no “one perfect way” after school.

Do you ever feel like that? Influenced by what you see in the media, what your friends say and your parents preach? I was convinced, that there must be this oneperfectway that leads toacademicalsuccess, your parents being proud and you being happy. But whether you wait 0 or 3 years before you start a new educational path, may it be university or job training, thistimetrulydoesn’thaveaneffectonyourhappiness or success.

We like to trouble our inner peace by comparingourlivestoothers. So, your best friend started right after school and is almost done with university? Well, that’s her path – yours is perfectly suited for you. Youareanindividual, withadifferentstorythatisinno way comparable. What if you go traveling, meet this one inspiring person, start an online business together and so on and so on. Still sad you didn’t go to university then? Be calm, trust in yourself and let it happen. School, gap year, uni. School, training, job, gap year. School, gap year, uni, gap year. It’s all perfect, as long as you trustthejourney.

2. Inform yourself, so you don’t develop anxiety about your future.

For some reason I thought, that everything will magically fall into place as soon as school is over. That I don’t really need to research opportunities or worry about what to do, because it will all somehow happen. WRONG. Outofnothing.. growsnothing. So suddenly there was this big hole after school, this free time that I looked so much forward to suddenly scared me and I didn’t know how to make use of it wisely.

This is why I advice you to collectallsortsofideas what to do after school. Get organized! Make a plan beforehand where to travel to, if you want to travel. Which jobs to apply to or which universities could be right for you. Just be prepared that there suddenly will be a lot of time on your hands and its good to decide for yourself how to make use of it beforehand.

3. You must try (and fail). Start somewhere, even if it isn’t perfect.

Whatever crazy plan it is – do it. Don’twait. Risk it. And even if this job training doesn’t seem like your perfect fit, do it anyways. That way you find out about your strengths, your likes and your dislikes. Also, it’snevertrulyaboutfeelingready. We never feel good enough, skilled enough or truly ready to take on something that is important to us, until we just do it.

So you tried this university course, spent a lot of money on it and now notice it’s totally not your thing? Be honest to yourself, admit it and quit. This is how you learn about yourself, by trying things, drawingyourconclusionsfromthatexperience and moving on.

4. Take your dreams seriously.

The worst mistake you could make is being convinced, that you have a lot of time (before it’s getting serious). I’m sorry to be a party pooper here, but you actually don’t. I see a lot of teenagers spending their afternoons on Netflix, instead of writing this song that they keep talking about or joining ballet class. Why? Becausetakingonyour dreamsisscary, itistiringandittakesambition. In 5 years from now you will wish you had actually started ballet class, because you’d be frickin awesome now and this silly song would have grown into a whole album.

Just see how little investions now can pay of hugely later. Don’t dream of becoming a writer and postpone to write, because ‘you got time’, but take your dreams seriously and workonthem. It will make you happier than an episode of Game of Thrones, I promise 😉

5. It’s all gonna be okay. And it is gonna work out, either way.

Whatever way you decide for – going to university, going traveling, becoming a yoga teacher – loveit, live itorleaveit. Be clear about your decisions but don’t panic.

When I was traveling I would always worry about getting into university, which tainted the time that could have been free of worries. I did get in, but if I hadn’t, I would have found something else to love and to do. I just didn’t know that then. It’s all going to be okay, itneverfollowsaflawlessline – that truly is life. One door closes, another door opens – it never goes according to plan. Know that and make peace with it.

Truly trust your journey.

These are my top tips, that I wish I had known before I left school. I was deeply insecure, but making all these experiences I listed above, I turned into a stronger girl. If you ever feel insecure about your decisions on what to do after school, I would love to help 🙂 Don’t hesitate to drop me an email and ask for advice. I got you <3

If you feel like this article could be helpful to your friends, please share it on facebook or twitter ♡

5 Truths I Wish I Knew Before I Left School was last modified: November 23rd, 2016 by Franziska

Terms like ‘Boho-Style’, ‘Boho-Fashion’ and ‘Boho-Interior’ are flooding our on-and offline world. But what essentially does ‘Boho’ mean and what look does it stand for?

Boho is a short way of saying bohemian. The name derived from a group of unconventional, french artists in the 1930s as a way to distinguish themselves from the french middle-class, whose values they didn’t support. The bohemians created their own image of the bourjois. They labeled them as being narrow-minded, ignorant and commercial with a strong disinterest in art. That way, the bohemian look has grown from a strong wish to set themselves apart. There I understood that bohemia is not a fashion movement, it is an attitude.

Doing some research on bohemianism, I collected some characteristics:

Work as an expression of self, and not money making. Work as we know it was seen as slavery.

They had a creative outlet. That, in an ideal case, was their source of income too.

Individualism – A bohemian follows their own idea of art, community, politics and style.

Extravagance / distinct visual differentiation – clothing, home, relationships. All that could be seen, was (on purpose) visually estranged from the bourgeois.

Money/Sucess is not important. Everything that is valued as a success by society is relativized by the bohemians.

Now that we know how Bohemians defined themselves, you might have a better idea of where this popular movement of the boho-lifestyle and boho-fashion derived from. Let’s take a closer look at those terms.

Where does it come from?

Bohemian fashion is not only influenced by the bohemian movement, that started in Paris, it also derives from the bohemians coming from Bohemia in Czech Republic. Since these two origins melted together, their style of clothing fused, leaving us with a beautiful mix of colours, designs and fabrics.

Instead of following the practical aspect of the middle class fashion, bohemian fashion tended to go all against that. Not tight and restricted, but long and flowy. Not hard and scratchy, but soft and wide. Not grey and brown but white and green and red. All to set themselves apart from the bourjois. That coming together with the czech influences, the boho style soon gained a ethical, open minded touch, embracing influences from other cultures and is today being known for its individuality.

Typical fabrics associated with the boho style

White Lace 4. Crochet Wool

Light Cotton 5. Flowy Poliester

Fur 6. Denim

Bohemian Fashion Looks

Light Bohemian Kimonos

Long and flowy with wide sleeves, with or without tassles, made out of light cotton, silk, jersey or chiffon – the bohemian Kimono. It’s one of my favorite additions to any casual outfit. For a full on bohemian look, I like to add it to maxi dresses. Achieve more of a bohemian touch adding it to jeans shorts with tops or short white dresses – you can never go wrong with a kimono.

Organic Crochet Clothing

In the 1920, crochet turned from being an embellishment of furniture into a method of producing clothing. In the 60s and 70s the crochet boom really took off, wide sleeved dresses, skirts, tops – all made of crochet. The airy texture, the selfmade feel and rustical look makes it an essential addition to the bohemian style.

Colourful Light Rompers

It’s all about this effortless, colourful look. A big part of ‘boho’ is, that clothes feels easy and effortless to wear and quick to put on. Its not about pleasing others visually, looking a certain standard, it’s about pleasing yourself. If you want to wear fours scarfs and a fifth around your head, go for it – that’s the beauty of individuality and the heart of bohemian wear.

Long Maxi Skirts

We have already talked about long flowy material adding to the bohemian look. When it comes to skirts, this idea can be beautifully translated into long, light flowy maxi skirts. Either single coloured, embroidered or printed with patterns of all kinds. It’s great in combination with cami-tops, cropped and crochet tops.

Bohemian Interior Design

When it comes to bohemian interior design, everything is possible. Here I am concentrating on a very earthy, natural look, that is often associated with the style. You combine deeply saturated, earthy colours with nature elements, such as wooden furniture and plants. You will notice african and arabien influences, such as the design of the pillow cases and rugs, simply because its patterns speak to the colourful interior understanding of bohemian minded folks. Since the bohemian folks I know are open minded people, you will often hear the word ethical associated with this type of style, combining furniture and decorative elements of different cultures in their home.

Adding the Twist

Recycling used furniture, combining nature elements with function and adding the bohemian twist to it – there is no limit to your creativity. I found that secondhand stores, antique flea markets and furniture, people leave on the streets to take away, are great sources to take from and play with. My first dorm room was completely furnished with beautiful second hand and found furniture – I loved it!

Bohemian Bedroom

The beauty of the bohemian bedroom. Oversized bedding, cozy layers of blankets, rows of pillows and tons of candles – of all a bit too much but just perfect too look and feel super cozy. A place where your mind can wander, that feels happy and safe.

To achieve a look like this..:

I invested in bedding larger than my bed, so it could overlay, and give off this cozy vibe.

I got 2 blankets, one dark & fake fur and one thick & fuzzy.

Three rows of pillows: two 80×80, two 60×60 and two 50×50

And chiffon fabric to hang from the ceiling and a 100 bulbs fairy light – I just love being in my room now!

The bohemian style isn’t a decision I made one day for myself, it is a way of life that I grew into while growing up. So do you like boho and is there anything you would like to add?

What Does Boho Mean? A Quick Guide To The Boho Style was last modified: May 22nd, 2017 by Franziska

Travelling sets our soul on fire. No, I really mean it. On fire. Personally, I shine from the inside out with a happy smile spreading across my heart. And still, I meet a lot of people who cannot cut ties from their lives at home, who are scared to invest the money or travel alone and those who don’t want to hurt their CVs in the long run. If you find yourself there, maybe I can give you some insight why I absolutely, from the bottom of my heart, advise you to go out into the world. Here are some ideas of what to do, where to look for infos and examples what I did.

Gap Year – Should I do it?

Basically, this year is yours. Absolutely yours. You have no obligations, no places where you have to be because it is fully your choice. Realize now, this second, how amazing this is. Later in life you will decide to commit. Commit to a 3-year university course or to 2-5 year education, to your job, to your realtionship, to the dog you always wanted and later a family. Now is your time to make it absolutely yours – you are free to go ! And now that you have all this time on your hands, how do you spend it best for you?

So whats next?

Visualize. Where do you see yourself during that time? Dare to dream. What are you seeing yourself doing? Where are you? What are you feeling?

Write these images down. Eg. Puerto Rico – I am surfing – I am meeting fun people – I am part time working – incredible sunny weather = part-time work in a surf-hostel/eco-lodge at one of puerto ricos beaches maybe?

Plan it. Whatever it is that comes into your head, there are many different ways to make it happen. Privately or by organization. I will go into that later on.

To inspire you, I collected some examples from myself and my friends that you can build your first ideas around :

Leave and experience life in another country. 2-6 months of diving into another culture.Exciting: the “just go and see what happens”-adventure aspect. Something awesome always comes up.

Participate in a social project in another country.Exciting: broadening your horizon, learning about working with NGOs, meeting travelers and making connections.

Make a list of destinations and connect them through roundtrip. Exciting: changing locations every few weeks and seeing unforgettable things and meeting travelers in a shorter amount of time.

Take on an internship in a city you always wanted to experience.
Exciting:getting an insight in a field that interests you, getting ahead in the “what should I do after school” thought, living somewhere new!

Book an around the world ticket.
Exciting:Good to get the wanderlust out of your system. You’ll travel the world! And have it all booked flexable in advance.

Do work & travel and dive into a project found on Workaway.
Exciting:traveling with a task and making money on the road. Who doesnt love a set purpose in their day and a stable money stream on the road.

Take your time to work on a project. Record an album, write a book, start a business.
Exciting:Now you have the time to dive into something that school took all the time up for. Make it come true!

Deepen a passion. Eg go to piano camp for 3 months and become crazy good.
Exciting:focus on a hobby and become really good. Be one of the “I continued piano” and not the “oh I wish I had” people. Embrace it.

LEAVE.

Whatever it is that you are passionate about, whatever image it is that you have in your head; rock climbing, walking down the lanes in Paris, driving down Highway 1 in a convertible, teaching english to monks in Peru or chilling in a hammock above the trees in an yoga-reatreat in Sri Lanka – just leave.

But… What about University?

You know what? Half of my gap year me and my friends I met on the road were worried mad about getting into university. And it tainted the experience. Looking back now with university experience: Yes, Uni is needed for your CV in some cases but please stop stressing. If its now or in 3 years, everyone is different in their development and schedule of life, so do what suits you best. And go with the flow. I think what I learned in University, I can sum up in a sentence. What I learned while traveling can fill a whole book. So what education do you prefer? 🙂

No seriously, in order to know what subject you want to dive into, you need to have somelifeexperience. Know what you like and what you don’t like. And you will only ever truly know, if you have tried it. So get out there and do as much as you can, experience as much as you can, it will get you closer to yourself.

But.. I have too little money!

Yes, I absolutely get that. If you don’t want or cannot have your parents financial support, you must get creative how to make the money a few weeks or even months before you leave. You probably have some good ideas already but here is some inspiration for you:

Sign with an event-agency. It’s quick money, without contract and easy to quit if you don’t like it.

Get a part time job. Duh. Look for something in your area, so you don’t need to go far and you can do more hours.

You’re creative? Sell it! I put up an advert on ebay for doing prom make-up when I was 19 to go to Barcelona. It was enough to go 3 times within a few months (to see my boyfriend hehe).

Home office. Write texts and sell them. There are a lot of websites needing content out there.

Pretty or not, getting with an extra/model/commercial/people-agency never hurts.

Sell your unwanted clothes.

Sell unwanted furniture.

and save…

This will surely spark more ideas. If you wanna add some, let me know!

Stop stressing out about “making it” early.

Nowadays we are conditioned to be productive, and only feel valued and worthy when being productive. Youth plus success are thrown in our faces and more and more people are getting freaked out by it. But against this development there is a great amazing part of rebels among us, that get off the grid to go after their dreams. According to this article, the generation of kids that is now leaving school, Generation Z, is leaving with big dreams and a strong tendency towards doing what makes them happy and not what brings the most money. We are all subtly but visibly starting to lean towards self realization as well as profound and active search for happiness.

So what comes with this? Employers will (forcibly) get used to all our gap years and start up attempts and blogging fun, because that is quite frankly, where it’s headed. Starting your bachelor at 24? Why the heck not, I am sure by the time there will be many who start later, because they successfully launched a youtube channel first. It’s about what YOU want, what makes YOU happy. And not the system.

An example… While traveling Yosemite, I stayed in a hostel in a small town called Groveland. In front of the supermarket I met two boys from there, who helped me with my grocery bags. Talking to them they revealed, that they had never left Groveland in their entire life. Never left the state of California or had any desire to go to college. Life is comfy there. With a job, a steady income and Yosemite around the corner, they are happy. And I totally agree, this is comfy. But this is how it will stay – for 60 years.

Leave your comfort zone!

“Nothing great ever came from comfort zones.” – Have you heart that saying before? It is true. Getting out of your comfort zone sparks new ideas, new interest, inspires you to start up new hobbies or revive old ones and feeds your brain with information and visuals that will take you places. Whereas home is comfort zone. And I am a strong lover of comfort zones myself, which is why I had to leave in order to grow.

I met some of my best friends traveling. They are spread all over the place in Bremen, London, Barcelona and Los Angeles. We write to each other every day and plan new adventures together. I feel so blessed to have those strong, interesting, independent people in my life – all met when I left my comfort zone.

All the adventures, the memories, the heartbreak, the being lost and found, the images, the freedom, the excitement, the pride of managing whatever the journey throws at you – it’s the gift traveling softly lays into your hands after each journey.

Are you ready to leave? Where would you like to go? Sending you the strength and courage to do it xx

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About Me

Heya! I'm Fran, digital media student, passionate globetrotter and positivity-blogger. Anoukh is our child of the wild, our inner spirit that longs for the intense and passionate moments in life. On here I share my way to a self-determined, stronger and happier life with you.